There are a large number of data banks that offer access to the most diverse information such as patents, stock prices, air ticket reservations, etc. These data banks are usually accessible via the Internet or through a direct connection using the telephone network. It is therefore possible to query a data bank either by entering the querys from the keyboard or by using a file containing at least one query called an automatic query script. The retrieved data can either be displayed interactively, or printed, or even saved in a file for subsequent consultation.
A type of data bank that is commonly used includes databases containing the publication of patents that currently constitute 80% of written information that exists in the world. The patent databases can be classified into two families: non-specialized databases that are created using a documentary background wherein information is grouped together by family. These types of databases help limit the number of articles while favoring reading of data in a specific language. This is the case with the ESPACENET database of the European Patents Office where bibliographical information is translated into English. National databases, on the other hand, are limited to the patents of a given country (France, Germany) but are more complete considering that the information provided is the entire patent, for example. The search therefore consists in making an initial query on the non-specialized database of the ESPACENET type to select the publication numbers, and then make a second query on one or more national databases to obtain more complete information.
Although in patent databases, several downloads concerning the same subject may be grouped together by deleting duplicates and possibly deleting patents that are not pertinent, every query made on the WEB via the Internet is independent. The HTML pages obtained are also independent. As a result, the user does not have any overall information.
The current method of querying the data banks and, in particular, the databases relating to patents, does not therefore present any significant efficiency at the industrial level. Actually, data obtained from a search on the Internet takes time to be downloaded, is difficult to consult and handle and is also incorrect at times. These disadvantages result from the fact that every query is a manual query and is restricted to a single query process, which multiplies the number of these manual queries.
Finally, a major disadvantage of the methods for searching data on the Internet is their lack of confidentiality. Actually, an information server has a Log file that displays the contents of queries in progress. The IP address of the server used is also known. As a result, a malicious person can, by viewing a query, be aware of the subject, which the person querying the server is working on.